Singaporean prime minister Lee Hsien Loong on Wednesday (26 June) said the city’s British colonial-era anti-gay law Section 377A would be around ‘for some time’. But, he told attendees at a tech conference, it would not prevent the city attracting international talent.  Section 377A of the city’s criminal code criminalises gay sex with up to two years in jail. Authorities rarely enforce the law, but a majority of Singapore citizens, who are largely religious and conservative, support keeping the law.

Lee was speaking as a guest of honor at the Smart Nation Summit in Singapore. An audience member asked how the country’s regulations could be changed to attract top talent—including Section 377A. ‘You know our rules in Singapore’ Lee is reported to have replied. ‘Whatever your sexual orientation, you are welcome to come and work in Singapore’ he said. ‘It is the way this society is: We are not like San Francisco, neither are we like some countries in the Middle East. [We are] something in between, it is the way the society is.’

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